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'Fishing, Millersdale'

This is a small sketch (5" x 7") which will maybe end up as a larger painting. There's a lovely walk along this stream. It's so green and lush. It does get a lot of rain here but when the sun comes out the dappled light is magical. I haven't really captured that as well as I intended in this sketch ... I think I'll accentuate the deep cool shadows against the pools of sparkling sunlight more in my painting.

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Back in the studio after a summer of spending much time in the outdoors and travelling, I needed to get my hand in again and gouache is more forgiving than watercolour! I love this time of year when the mornings have a nip in the air and are often misty. And then the low sun breaks through and imparts a soft glow to the landscape, catching the grasses and seed heads with a dreamy light.

This was painted in gouache on Arches (Not), mostly wet in wet. I wanted to create an etherial, dreamy mood so kept most of the edges soft. I drew the dark foreground grasses with my bamboo pen, pulling up some of the wet paint from the bottom edges of the painting. I'd forgotten how lovely gouache is to use ....

I know! We English are never happy with the weather. I do love the sun but it's been so hot these last weeks that it's difficult to get much done in my studio after about 2pm. Escaping, in my painting, to some slightly cooler, atmospehric autumn days ...
Mixed Media (watercolour, acrylic inks and oil pastel) on Arches Board.